Week 7 arrives with Kentucky right in the middle of a crowded college football landscape, and the Wildcats themselves are carrying plenty of weight into Norman.
No. 15 Kentucky, now 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the SEC, takes a four-game winning streak to Oklahoma for a Saturday night test against the Sooners, who come in at 3-2 and 1-1 in league play.
Will Stein’s team will kick at 7:30 p.m. EDT on the SEC Network, and it stands as the headliner for Kentucky fans tracking the week.
The most important games on the national board have plenty of juice, too. No.
5 Indiana is set to host No. 4 Ohio State in a noon EDT matchup on FOX that carries clear Big Ten championship implications.
In the SEC, No. 13 Missouri heads to No.
9 Ole Miss for a 3:30 p.m. EDT kickoff on the SEC Network in a game that could matter down the College Football Playoff line.
And later, No. 2 Notre Dame travels to No.
8 BYU for a 7:30 p.m. EDT ABC broadcast featuring two unbeaten teams.
For Kentucky fans keeping one eye on rivals, the third Saturday in October brings another Alabama-Tennessee meeting. No.
14 Tennessee, 5-1 and 2-1 in the SEC, hosts No. 6 Alabama, also 5-1 and 3-1, at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
Louisville is also back in action after its win over Florida State, heading to Syracuse for a 7:30 p.m. EDT game on the ACC Network.
There’s also a local angle with former Kentucky players and coaches scattered across the schedule. New Florida coach Jon Sumrall, the former Kentucky linebacker and assistant coach, is trying to steady a Gators team that was outscored 83-36 over the past two weeks by Missouri and South Carolina.
Florida, 4-2 and 2-2 in the SEC, visits No. 7 Texas in a noon EDT game on ABC.
Gerad Parker, the former Kentucky wide receiver and graduate assistant, leads Troy into a Sun Belt matchup at Louisiana. Troy is 3-2 and 1-0 in league play, while Louisiana is 4-2 and 1-1.
That one is scheduled for 5 p.m. EDT and will stream on ESPN+.
North Texas, coached by former UK wide receiver and offensive coordinator Neal Brown, has the week off.
A few ex-Cats are also in the spotlight as players. Former Kentucky quarterback Cutter Boley completed 21 of 31 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns for Arizona State in last week’s 30-12 win over Hawaii.
The Sun Devils, 3-2 and 1-1 in the Big 12, now head to No. 10 Texas Tech for a 3:30 p.m.
EDT game on FOX.
Former Kentucky cornerback Elijah Reed had four tackles in Utah’s 41-24 win over Kansas. The No.
11 Utes, 5-0 and 2-0 in the Big 12, visit Colorado at 10:15 p.m. EDT on ESPN.
And ex-UK edge Tyreese Fearby recorded two tackles and a pass breakup in Wisconsin’s 35-3 rout of Michigan State. The Badgers, 4-1 and 2-0 in the Big Ten, travel to No.
12 UCLA, which is 5-0 and 3-0, for a 7:30 p.m. EDT NBC matchup.
Beyond the Power Four, there’s a full slate for Kentucky schools across the lower divisions. Western Kentucky played Wednesday night at Sam Houston State in Conference USA action.
Eastern Kentucky goes to Tennessee Tech for a non-league game Saturday at 2:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN+.
Murray State faces No. 9 South Dakota at 5 p.m.
EDT on ESPN+, and Morehead State visits Davidson at 1 p.m. EDT on ESPN+.
In the small-college ranks, No. 13 Campbellsville meets Cumberland (Tennessee) in a Mid-South Conference game at 1:30 p.m.
EDT Saturday, streaming on YouTube. Kentucky State hosts Lane at Alumni Stadium in Frankfort at 1 p.m. in SIAC play.
Centre is home against Rhodes at 1 p.m., with that game streaming on FloCollege.
In Other News...
Kentucky Just Added A Familiar Face Big Blue Nation Will Love
Kentucky officially filled out part of its basketball staff this week, announcing the hires of Alfred Aboya as an assistant coach and John Pelphrey as director of player development. Aboya arrives after coaching at NBA Academy Africa and with the Cameroon National Mens Basketball Team, while Pelphrey comes back to Lexington with plenty of experience from stops at Tennessee Tech and other programs.
Pelphreys return gives Big Blue Nation a familiar face with deep ties to the program, and the combination of his background and Aboyas international experience adds another layer to the Wildcats staff. For Kentucky, the moves bring in two coaches with different paths but plenty of basketball experience, as the program continues building out its support system around the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Heads To Norman With Two Major Availability Concerns
Kentucky heads to Norman with the injury report already shaping part of the conversation, and the Wildcats have at least one notable name to watch on offense. Running back CJ Baxter is listed as questionable, while wide receiver Nic Anderson is probable, giving Kentucky some measure of optimism at one spot even as the backfield situation remains unsettled. Oklahomas report also matters for the matchup, with left tackle Michael Fasusi questionable as he works toward a return.
The rest of the availability picture is spread across both sideline reports, with several players on each team carrying different designations as game day approaches. For Kentucky, the question is not just who is active, but how much of the offense can be counted on if Baxter is limited or unavailable. In a road trip like this, the final injury decisions can quietly shape everything from play-calling to personnel groupings. [Read more 🡒]
Greg McElroy's New Top 15 Just Raised The Stakes For Kentucky
Greg McElroys latest Top 15 on his Always College Football podcast offered another early-season snapshot of where the national powers stand, and it put a fresh spotlight on the kind of company Kentucky hopes to keep. Georgia checked in at No. 1, with Indiana and Miami right behind, and McElroys list again underscored how much attention is being paid to teams that have already separated themselves through the opening stretch of the season.
For Kentucky, the value in a ranking like this is less about the number next to a rivals name and more about the standard it sets. McElroys commentary centered on how teams have played and what they still have in front of them, which only adds weight to every upcoming opportunity for the Wildcats to prove they belong in the same conversation with the sports elite. [Read more 🡒]